The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-08-04
PINE LEAF (STRhWD
Hon. A. p. BUTLER, Commissioner of
Agriculture, Columbia, S. c.:

Hon. a. p BUTLER, Commissioner of
Agriculture, Columbia, S. c.:
In compliance with your request, and
for the benefit of some of our farmers, [
will give you my cxpeli ience, and that of
somo OF my noighbors, but moro par
tlcularly my own, as l can speak more
definitely, of the use of pine straw Us O
manure. havo bCcn using it for six
teen years, and for the most of this time
L have been using ten cords to tho acre
| Tor cotton, and with that amount of
| straw and 100 lbs. acid phosphate, 100
lbs. kainit, and Is buchels of cotton
seed, L make an average of bale of cot
ton to tho acre, and some years L got a
bale and u half, on what was said to be
old worn out land, but by tho use OF tho
above now have my land in good heart.
1t is said by some farmers that straw will
Kill the cotton, but [ havo never had it
to kill my cotton, and would use double
the quantity that l do if it wero 80 that
could got it to the land, as getting it
IN tho land is small matter with us.
We break tho old beds down with six
burrows with d seven inch turn plough,
then opon with an oight inch double
winged straight hoo sixteen inches long;
thus it may be seen how / get in my ten
L
by some that L claim too much for pine
straw, but this is mistake, as | only
claim what the analysis, bolievc, gives
it, about per cont. potash; but to take
1t ut much less, and still [ am an advo-
cate for its use, for L claim good deal
for its pcrcoiating influence in tho land
tho same that yeast has in our bread
Tor in this: it opens The soil and lets in
the air and admits the gases from the
ram, which, III close clay soil, is very
necessary, and, as L think, in all soils,
whether 1t be clay or otherwise. There
are many objections TO tho uso Of straw.
one adduccd by men Of intelligence is,
that straw, when rottcd, becomes sand,
which, according to my experience, is
both false and true, for L claim that tho
same soil that produces the growth, when
rottcd it will be the same, cithor sand or
clay. L believe all the farmers know
That cotton grown on clay land has II
yellow tingc, produced Ivy the clay; and
If our lint p0rtakes Of the soil, why not
pune straw?
But TO give you other than my own
experience. lu speaking to wrli-to-rlo
farmer on the subject, he said he would
Quit tho farm ii he could not oct pine
straw, as he is one that uses it largely.
I'uI ~ may DC uShCNi, HOW VIC arc 10 pGG
IN such quantities? [ can only say how
do 1t at this writing. ] have in the
woods fifteen hundred piles, four feet
high ana four feet wide; these havo been
raked when the weather was such that |
could not ito other farm work; and when
we lay by our crop, which VIC usually ito
about the 18th Of July, then, between
that and the blade gathering, We get all
we use III the lot; and when We first get
1t III lot 1T IS ten or twelve feet deep
away from the fence. If this is not done
we could mover get 1t from the woods IN
Inc sprlng, and, having it i'll tho lot it is
trnmpcd ny tho stock, and though not
cut up as thIs cannot be on account Of
noptn' 1t becomes compact, and, once
Tmct' ooeS not get dry uutI hauling or
inc iln1c l1r plhhG. ! lnny Lc wrong,
Dut 1 thlhk 'ho reason why there is no
''o, ntoio S't''" ''Sc,I IS ncc@"So tErrc ls not
enough put III thc land, tor It takes n
lul8G N2"hSlty, ~ DuIk, to m"Eo little
Gilr'h "nch routed; and viii %ay this:
silc moro one uses tho more phosphate
nmri ~ nHJ WILL Paying results II ho will
UUi1J -" n.'t' Hllu @oe INC Stf"" "oIl III
Ii!o l',lio"S' I nave oScN lorty 1--we largo